Martina Navratilova was airlifted to a Nairobi hospital after having to halt prematurely her attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro because the 54 year-old felt unwell.
Navratilova was leading a team of 27 climbers to raise funds for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation charity, was taken ill on the fourth day of the climb up the 19,341 ft mountain in Tanzania.
She was assisted down the mountain by porters and driven to the nearby Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre for assessment, then, as a precaution, she was flown to the Nairobi Hospital for further tests which showed she was suffering from high altitude pulmonary edema – an accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
Dr David Silverstein, consultant in cardiology and internal medicine at the Nairobi Hospital, said: “Basically this is fluid in the lungs related to high altitude. It is potentially dangerous when someone is at high altitude, but once brought down, recovery is quick. Martina is doing well and will continue to do well.
“Treatment is to remove the fluid through diuretics and to make the patient more comfortable with oxygen. She will spend two to three days in hospital. There will be no effects to long term health and patients get back to full fitness in due course. Martina's acute condition is not reflective of her health or fitness. It occurs in some people in conditions of low oxygen.”
From her bed at the Nairobi Hospital, Martina said: “I’m disappointed not to be able to complete this amazing journey. It was something that I have wanted to do for so long, but it was not to be.
“I am so pleased that we got it going and I will be watching and waiting for news from the climb when they reach the summit tomorrow (Sat). I didn’t make it, but I think it has been a great success as we have raised funds and awareness for the work that Laureus does
Navratilova was leading a team of 27 climbers to raise funds for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation charity, was taken ill on the fourth day of the climb up the 19,341 ft mountain in Tanzania.
She was assisted down the mountain by porters and driven to the nearby Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre for assessment, then, as a precaution, she was flown to the Nairobi Hospital for further tests which showed she was suffering from high altitude pulmonary edema – an accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
Dr David Silverstein, consultant in cardiology and internal medicine at the Nairobi Hospital, said: “Basically this is fluid in the lungs related to high altitude. It is potentially dangerous when someone is at high altitude, but once brought down, recovery is quick. Martina is doing well and will continue to do well.
“Treatment is to remove the fluid through diuretics and to make the patient more comfortable with oxygen. She will spend two to three days in hospital. There will be no effects to long term health and patients get back to full fitness in due course. Martina's acute condition is not reflective of her health or fitness. It occurs in some people in conditions of low oxygen.”
From her bed at the Nairobi Hospital, Martina said: “I’m disappointed not to be able to complete this amazing journey. It was something that I have wanted to do for so long, but it was not to be.
“I am so pleased that we got it going and I will be watching and waiting for news from the climb when they reach the summit tomorrow (Sat). I didn’t make it, but I think it has been a great success as we have raised funds and awareness for the work that Laureus does
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